


Shared Determination

by Shi_Toyu



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Avenger James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Awesome James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, M/M, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-05-01 15:14:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14523396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu
Summary: Warning: IW spoilers within!Rhodey and Bucky have a talk about Tony.





	Shared Determination

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Coconutice22](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coconutice22/gifts).



> Yes, they're still coming.
> 
> Also, mad thanks to Coconutice22 for the idea for this! Hope you enjoy it, hun!

By now, Bucky would recognize the whine of repulsors anywhere. He’d heard them enough times. Even through the walls and thick glass of Wakanda’s palace, he could hear them faintly as a suit touched down on the landing platform outside. Despite the circumstances, a wide grin broke out across Bucky’s face. There was always a bright side, right?

He jogged down the corridor the short distance it would take him to get to the doors, mood only slightly dampened by noticing it was the War Machine armor instead of an Iron Man suit. With an impending alien invasion, Tony probably had a lot going on. He’d be here soon, though. If Thanos was coming for Vision’s stone, then there’s no way Tony wouldn’t be here to face him.

“Hey, Rhodes,” he greeted as he pushed through the doors and out into the bright sunshine of the day.

It was hot in Wakanda, though not as hot as some of those summers in Brooklyn with the heatwaves that he could just barely remember bits and pieces of. Or maybe he just hadn’t known any better back then.

War Machine’s faceplate slide up to reveal Rhodes’ face as he crossed the distance between them to shake Bucky’s hand. Technically, this was their first time meeting since that day at the airport, but they’d run across each other in video chats before.

“Barnes. Sorry to barge in here like this.”

Bucky just shrugged.

“Not my place.”

“I see they got the arm attached alright.”

Bucky grinned and rotated the elbow and shoulder joints a few times, showing off.

“Works like a dream, gotta admit! I’m looking forward to thanking Tony for it. Do you know when he’s arriving?”

Rhodes’ grimace sent alarm bells clanging through Bucky’s mind and his humor drained away.

“What happened? Is he alright?”

“We don’t know,” Rhodes admitted. “There was a guy named Stephen Strange who had another one of the stones in New York, some kind of magic user. That’s why the aliens attacked there first. He got captured and Tony went after him. FRIDAY lost contact once he broke atmo.”

Bucky tried desperately to wrap his mind around what Rhodes was saying.

“You mean Tony’s in _space?_ _Alone?”_

His knees felt weak. He and Tony had talked about their nightmares and traumas. It had been one of the things that actually helped them manage to move past the drama and history between them. Tony flying into space was like a panic attack waiting to happen. And he wasn’t _back yet?_

“I know,” Rhodes confided, tone clearly displaying his discontent. “Spiderman’s with him, but…”

The kid? Shit, Tony would blame himself blind if something happened to him.

“We have to go after him.”

There were spaceships these days, right? Someone had to have a fucking boat on this planet that could get him to Tony. Rhodes’ twisted and pained expression didn’t bode well, though.

“We can’t. We can’t even track them. We’re just going to have to trust that he’s alright and he’ll get himself back. This is Tony we’re talking about, here, remember? Trust me, getting himself into and out of impossible situations is kind of what he does. Right now, we just need to focus on making sure this creep doesn’t get his hands on Vision.”

Bucky clenched and unclenched his flesh hand several times, feeling the ridges of his nails as they bit into his palm.

“He’ll be back?”

Rhodey gave a sharp nod and clapped him on the shoulder.

“If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that Tony’ll always come back. It’s going to take a lot more than some juiced up alien to keep him from coming home.”

Bucky raised his eyes to the sky, trying despite himself to see past it and into the stars above, to Tony.

“You’re right,” he said, as much to himself as to Rhodes, before steeling himself and facing the other man again. “Let’s keep it safe until he gets back.”


End file.
